Justice
by prismdreams
Summary: Oliver struggles with the decisions of going back on his word to rid Star City of people like Emiko, or, to finally end the cycle of violence once and for all. Lauriver. Set after 7x21.


_**A/N:** Hey guys! I have a new Lauriver fic here, it's my first, a one shot. I hope you all like it. I have more coming, like deleted scenes the show was meant to show us if they ever pulled their heads out of their asses. Really enjoying Arrow this season, probably because it's the last but it's better because it cuts the bullshit out and makes the show about Oliver again. I love that. Tell me what you think of this one. Bye all! :)_

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Oliver gathered the last of his arrows, one for each plan he mapped out and shoved them into the case. He had done this so many times before but this time he was feeling anxious. He didn't want to face the next moment he would see Emiko, his hands shook as he grabbed his bow staff, knowing he could have ended everything right then and there.

Tommy Merlyn appearing to him under the trapped rubble wasn't a coincidence...or was it? Oliver didn't know nor did he care. All that mattered was the mission, defeating Emiko, whatever the means, salvaging what's left of Star City. The weight of the world has been carried enough, time to focus, time to move on from his inner conscious. It was too late to convince him otherwise.

_Emiko has to die, it's the only way._

Letting her get away was the last thing he wanted to do. Oliver checked his phone and Felicity still hadn't answered him. He was getting worried. This wasn't the life he wanted for Felicity or his unborn child. This is not a life at all. It's time to end it.

"Oliver." A gruff, familiar voice said behind his shoulder.

Just as he was about to leave he almost crashed into the body. Robert Queen, the voice, the man, the father he'd never forget, not for one second of his life.

"Stand down, son. Stand down." He spoke gently.

Oliver complied but only because he knew he was hallucinating again. This was another trick, another ruse to prevent him from taking a stand against justice.

"You're not real." Oliver croaked out, his voice trying to be level but wanting to break at the sight of seeing and hearing his father again.

"No, I'm not. But that isn't why I'm here."

Oliver looked up, daring to stare in his father's eyes, knowing he'd failed him, as a tribute, a legacy, an avenger. He looked at his own blood, a weak man, a desperate attempt to cling to an ounce of hope.

"Sit down, son."

Oliver sat down, the nerves settling in as his father made eye contact with him.

"I never asked you to do any of this." He said simply.

"But this was your purpose. You've known it for a long time, since Lian Yu, that day...I wanted a better life for you. Much better than I could have given you."

Oliver said nothing for a few seconds but then it came out before he could stop it. "Instead you left me nothing but the guilt I felt when I came back."

Silence made the answer clear enough.

He stared in his father's stoic direction. "Right?"

Robert took a couple steps closer to Oliver and sat down. "It was never my intention to blame you for anything. I loved you more than my own life. So much that my own had to be taken away. And it had to be by my hands. One day you'll understand why I had to make that sacrifice."

Oliver stood up and began collecting the rest of his equipment. "I don't need this right now."

"You don't have a lot of time left Oliver. While you're here, you can still stay on this path to redemption. My legacy isn't yours, remember that."

Oliver turned around and his father was gone. Typical. The moment where he could use better words of encouragement and his father had to abandon him even as a ghost.

He drew back his bow at the noise nearing him. A shadow. Under the darkness he could see what was standing near the specks of light that seeped through the ceiling.

"Thought I'd find you here, come on, let's get out of here."

"Laurel? What are you doing here?" He said, his voice dropping into a whisper. He closed his staff, moving the arrow back in its holster.

Oliver didn't know if this was another hallucination or reality playing before him but it felt like a mix of both. Even though she wasn't _his_ Laurel, she did remind him of a simpler time. When the weight of the world wasn't strung on his shoulders. But when he looked upon her now, even in his current situation there was a sense of calm in the air. Much like he had felt when his Laurel was still alive. He never cherished those moments and now they're gone. But it suddenly felt like they returned again.

Oliver hesitated before taking a few steps toward her but she helped ease the discomfort by slowly moving toward him. Oliver kept a slight distance.

"You were always afraid of me, even now, you're shaking." Laurel spoke, closing in the gape between their bodies.

"I don't know why," He said, swallowing roughly. "It's the sound of your voice that always gave me comfort, even in the worst of times."

Laurel's features softened. "You always said that to me, my Earth you. And you always returned it with the look you're giving me right now."

He looked down as she reached out to touch his face, like he remembered her doing many times before.

"Oliver, I'm scared too. But we can't afford to waste time living in fear. We're better than that. All these voices you hear, telling you what to feel, you know in your heart what the answer is. You've always known."

He blinked harshly, finding it difficult to focus, "Maybe, and maybe I'll always be a killer. Just like the city thinks of me."

Laurel watched him crouch down and sat down with him. "You know what you need to do. Sometimes a hero has to make hard choices. Even if it means avoiding the inevitable. Look inside Oliver. What's it telling you right now?"

He paused a long moment before picking himself back up. He straightened his back and grabbed his staff by his side.

"I know what I have to do." Oliver said, turning to look at Laurel who was still there.

She wasn't a ghost, she was real. He could touch her, just like he did before. Looking at her gave him hope that there were second chances in life. That he didn't have to turn to the darkness. There was light, he knew it, in that moment, being with Laurel cemented his purpose all over again.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Surprised at first, she responded with her own sensual flare, pressing her mouth against his. When they pulled away, their foreheads touched as they caught their breath.

"It's time Ollie." Laurel spoke above a whisper.


End file.
